Journal No. 10

One of the most interesting points in Collignon, Men, and Tan's article "Finding Ways In" talks about how Southeast Asian students and families face difficulties adjusting to the education system in America. The authors (2001) make the argument that Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong, and Vietnamese families that came to this country "brought with them beliefs and cultural practices with respect to teaching and learning that differed from one another and from prevalent beliefs and practices in the United States." (p. 30) From what I've learned about different cultures and their respective beliefs, there are some groups of people who learn and act differently in the classroom. For example, there are some cultures in which it is considered disrespectful to make eye contact with one another while speaking. In other cultures, having group discussions are more accepted than each student answering a question individually. Collignon, Men, and Tan give several examples of what is expected in the Southeast Asian education systems. In Cambodian schools, students primarily learn the Cambodian language along with traditional Buddhist teachings. French schools were the basis for Vietnamese schools and for the Hmong of Laos, "learning was embedded in shared cultural practices with adult community members in their hill-tribe villages rather than in schools." (Colignon, Men, & Tan, 2001, p. 31) We cannot expect students to immediately adhere to the classroom customs of this country, if at all. What we can do is learn as much about each of our students as possible and where they come from. By connecting with our students on a personal level, we will be able to create a more positive learning environment which, in turn, will make the content much more accessible to each student. We obviously do not want our students to lose their own cultural beliefs and values that they have brought with them to the classroom. Rather, we should be encouraging their cultures so that they can succeed.